


Challenger

by Melle66



Category: NCIS
Genre: F/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-12-28
Updated: 2019-12-28
Packaged: 2021-02-26 00:09:14
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,345
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/21994270
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Melle66/pseuds/Melle66
Summary: After an emergency coffee run that gives way to a new tradition, Gibbs decides to step up and take the initiative... His way.
Relationships: Jethro Gibbs/Jacqueline "Jack" Sloane
Comments: 21
Kudos: 111





	Challenger

**Author's Note:**

  * For [thenicecheese](https://archiveofourown.org/users/thenicecheese/gifts).



> My Slibbs Secret Santa gift for "thenicecheese," hope you enjoy it!
> 
> All mistakes are my own, I do apologize for them.

This was the third time he was walking down a number of streets next to her, and the first for which he couldn’t find a plausible excuse. For the first one, they had decided to sneak out of work on a coffee hunt when he had arrived at the office with the news that their favorite place had closed for the holidays. Figuring it would take longer to find a parking spot than getting to a random shop, they ditched the cars and walked side by side while Jack talked merrily about the different kinds of Christmas light she got for her place as they both looked through the windows until they found a place simple enough to fit their entire menu on a sidewalk sign. Deciding to stay and have their drinks in the warmth of the cozy shop was only natural, he thought. After all, they had ended up walking longer than expected, and it was cold outside. The fact that he was usually unfazed by the cold and the wind was the first chastising thought he managed to file away and ignore; the fact that paying for her coffee when she was right there with him, insisting on paying for it herself, felt a lot different than bringing her one to work was the second one. Still, sharing coffee in the mornings had become part of their daily routines, even if they didn’t actually drink it together, so it allowed Gibbs to ease the voice in his head suggesting it could count as a date.  
  
Two days later, with half of his team gone for the holidays, Jack came down from her office, clad in an oversized sweater and at least two scarves, to ask if he’d be up for another hunt. Before he knew it, he was in the elevator with her, trying to remember every single restaurant near the building he’d been to through the years. He was more than ready to give suggestions, but she was having none of them since the whole point of hunting was to get to a place none of them had been before, to make a memory. Once again, Gibbs worked hard on not giving it another meaning, though the voice in his head had other plans, as it kept pointing out different memories he had gone out of his way to make with her… A certain painting fighting hard for the first spot.  
  
Jack didn’t seem to think much of their time outside the office. She had stopped by his house for the three nights since their coffee hunt to share a beer while he worked on the boat -his trusty distraction- all smiles and cheer. He knew she was trying hard not to feel lonely, and wondered why she had chosen to stay when he knew for a fact she had an invitation to her father’s house in California from weeks before. Even Bishop had asked if she’d like to visit Oklahoma, but Jack had gracefully turned that down saying she wanted to use the time for herself. Funny how she kept ending in his basement.  
  
Not that he was complaining, of course. It seemed to him that the more time they spent together, the more it felt like it had always been that way. Which was the reason why the day off felt… well, off. No Jack greeting him as she passed the bullpen because there was no Gibbs in it in the first place, no cheeky smile from her as he handed her a cup of steaming coffee pretending not to glance at her, no easy excuse to drop by her office and have a moment together. This time he would have to suck it up and admit he just wanted to see her. Unless…  
Tired of himself, Gibbs took up the stairs, flipping his phone open to dial her number. He wasn’t even surprised when it took exactly three seconds for her to answer.  
  
“Cowboy.”  
  
She sounded breathless, and he could hear her steps moving quickly on wooden floor.  
  
“Busy?”  
  
He waited while she moved around some more. The sounds coming from the phone making him picture her carrying shopping bags around her place.  
  
“Never for you.” A pause, then he heard her chuckle lightly, “I meant… You know what? Doesn’t matter, shoot.”  
  
“You up for a walk?”  
  
This time Jack’s laughter was open and warm, and without knowing it his lips curved upward as well. She took a deep breath, then sighed, “Are we hunting for something?”  
  
It took him a minute to answer as he took two different sets of keys and put on his coat. By the time he took the phone to his ear again, he was already walking towards his truck.  
  
“Ya could say that.”  
  
“Ah, I love it when you give me all the details” she joked, but he still heard her keys shaking, “Can a girl at least know where I’m meeting you?”  
  
“Your place. I’ll be there in 10.”  
  


* * *

Of all the things Jack had expected from their hunt, seeing Gibbs take out an old Challenger from a storage unit wasn’t even on her list, yet it didn’t surprise her somehow. The car looked as if brought straight from the 70s with its impeccable bright yellow color and black stripes. Gibbs pulled up in front of her and she saw his physical effort to keep a cheeky smile in check as he rolled down the window to glance at her.  
  
“Well, well, well” she took her time to walk around the car, giving it a gentle tap of approval before standing next to Gibbs once more, leaning close to the window with her hand resting on the roof, “Now this is a well-kept treasure, cowboy.”  
  
He shrugged nonchalantly then carefully opened the door, pulling her hand towards him as he got out of the car. Caught off guard, Jack had no time to filter her actions and leaned against him, pressing her face into his chest. Just when her carelessness begun to sink in, she felt Gibb’s fingers running through her hair before his hand settled on her nape, pulling to make her look up at him. His eyebrows were furrowed as usual, but the depth in his eyes was gentle with an inviting warmth.  
  
“Why did you bring me here, Gibbs?”  
  
Jack’s voice was barely a whisper, but its firmness surprised him. She wasn’t a fool who wouldn’t read past his apparent calmness and casual demeanor. In fact, he was almost sure she had already figured out who used to own the car. Her question was less about him and more about herself, a quest to figure out whether or not she needed to guard her heart from a man who couldn’t make up his mind. He moved his hand from her nape to her cheek, burning with satisfaction when his gesture caused her to close her eyes and sigh. It was hard not to give into his feelings and kiss her right then, but Jack deserved premeditation and reassurance. Clearing his throat, he stepped away from her and circled the vehicle to open the passenger door, inviting her in with a nod of his head.  
  
“Thought I should give ya a ride.”  
  
He paid attention as her expression went from disappointed to bewildered in the span of a phrase, and remained stoic when her eyes darkened and a mischievous smile crossed her face.  
  
“Oh, cowboy…” she started when she approached him, making sure to invade his personal space with her head tilted back before climbing into the offered seat, “Can’t chose if that was a poor word choice, or the complete opposite…”  
  
Instead of an answer, she got the door closed to her face.  
  


* * *

They spent the rest of the day taking turns to drive Gibbs’ challenger around the city and its surroundings, only stopping for food during lunch and dinner, and then to stack themselves with booze. He found it endearing that their ability to be with each other in spite of the silence still surprised him. Although people perceived Jack as the friend who constantly tried to get him to talk about his thoughts and feelings, they failed to realize that what truly drew them together was their willingness to be a quiet, loyal companion. They didn’t feel the need to fill the silence by making small talk, and neither was the type to gossip about work or their friends. They had been through enough in their lives to know some things weren’t worth their time, which was why Jack’s insistence to spend the rest of the day even though she was clearly exhausted lighted fireworks straight to his ego.  
  
He made his way out of the convenience store, holding a carton of beers in one hand, and took the chance to admire Jack without her noticing. She had rolled down the window and rested her arms crossed on top of it. Her face lay on her hands, facing the side mirror. Her hair blew freely with the wind, and although he couldn’t see her face, he was almost sure her eyes were closed and her lips curved into a soft smile. He crossed the parking lot as quietly as he could, but she still heard his steps when he was close enough. Unable to resist the temptation, he ran a hand through her hair and pulled at it lightly, making her open her eyes and look up at him with her head still resting on the window.  
  
“You should do that more often,” she mumbled, her voice soft from sleepiness. Gibbs shot her a small smile and leaned down to peck her forehead before passing her the beer. With a sigh, she sat straight and held the drinks on her lap, pulling one free while Gibbs got into the driver’s seat. She drank in silence, her head leaning against the window frame to feel the air on her face once they started towards his place.  
  
After a while, he reached his hand out towards her, making her chuckle and shake her head.  
  
“You’re not drinking and driving, Gunny,” she warned with a playful, glancing at him with amusement on her lips. When he held his hand up with his eyes fixed on the road, Jack raised an eyebrow, surprised by his insistence. Determined to stand her ground, she kept her eyes on his face as if trying to break him with her mind. The loud chuckle that escaped his mouth startled her.  
  
“Your hand, Jack” he said, accompanying the amusement in his tone with a wiggle of his fingers to bring her attention to them. It took her a moment to realize she had been staring at his hand with her mouth open in clear confusion. Her arms had tightened around the carton of beers, and her chest moved visibly when her breath quickened.  
  
“Ya gonna leave me hangin’ here?”  
  
Her hand was in his in an instant, making him smile when she carefully placed the beers by her feet and shifted on her seat in order to lean against his arm. He placed her hand on the gear stick and held it there, giving it a gentle squeeze.  
  
The drive back to his place wasn’t long, but traffic slowed them down. Once she had emptied her first bottle, she let go of his hand, only to encircle his arm with hers in a hug. Her face was pressed against his bicep, eyes closed as if attempting to fall asleep. Despite her calmness, he occasionally caught her looking up at him with wide, warm eyes. He could see the expectation in them, the promises she had read from their day together, and couldn’t help having a moment of panic from knowing once the step was taken, there would be no way back from it.  
  
“Never know what you’re thinking when ya look at me that way” he blurted out as they reached a red light, feeling her grip on his arm tighten slightly, “Was the drink too strong or do I make your day?”  
  
He almost thought she say a thing when all she did was hum softly and close her eyes once more before rubbing her face on his arm, but then one of her hands slid down to hold his hand and laced their fingers together.  
  
“You do know I have a crush on you, right?”  
  
Her voice was dry, and her speech slurred with sleepiness. Still, when she looked up to him, her eyes were brighter than before. He gave her hand a gentle squeeze, then let go of it to tilt her chin up.  
  
Her lips were soft and wet against his, and it didn’t surprise him in the slightest when she threw caution to the wind by immediately parting her lips to deepen their kiss. Just like their hunting walks, kissing her for the first time made him feel as if they had been doing it for the longest time. The way her tongue sneaked into his mouth to explore filled him with a sense of familiarity, and he didn’t even notice his hand had moved into her hair, tangling his fingers in it. He could taste the beer in her breath, and the salty taste of her lips mixing with the mint aftertaste of the gum he had been chewing earlier. He almost burst out laughing when he realized he was making out with a woman in his dad’s old car like an inexperienced teenager. Her hand fell on his thigh, its warmth passing through his jeans, and he would have let go of the steering wheel if it hadn’t been for the car honking behind them. They broke apart in a second, his mind instantly switching to focus on driving while Jack giggled in her seat, all trace of exhaustion gone from her face.  
  
“Just so we’re clear,” he started once they had rejoined traffic and Jack had calmed down, leaning against him again, “I do know about your crush.”  
  
He hoped he never got used to her laughter.


End file.
